Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Lia
T he Underhill. I stare at the map of the Light Realm and frown, wondering what’s at the end of it that’s so important to Varrik.
I pace the room as I wait for the tea I’ve made with the flowers to steep. The Harbinger is impatient. It wants me to drink it now, hoping that it will give it the extra that it needs to break free, but I tell it to wait. If this is going to work, I want the tea to be as strong as possible.
But we’re on borrowed time. I keep thinking back to the way Fiana looked at me before she left, and I’m even more convinced that she suspects something.
I pick up the cup and take a sip, wrinkling my nose at the vile bitterness of it. But it’s not foul enough to stop, so I drink a bit more.
‘Anything?’
It doesn’t know yet.
I finish the cup, ignoring the searing of my tongue, and sit down, wondering how long it’ll take to notice a difference.
Not long at all, I realize, as I lurch out of my chair and run to the chamber pot. I empty my stomach loudly into it, shuddering as the tea comes back up violently.
I sit on the floor and pant, asking the Harbinger if the babe is all right. It assures me all is well, but I shake my head at the thought of trying that again.
My door opens, and a guard steps into my room. ‘Varrik calls for you,’ he says, barely looking at me except to ensure that I’m following him. My stomach rolls as I stand a little unsteadily. Varrik hasn’t seen me since the day he gave me to Dane and that was days ago. What does he want with me?
I follow the guard through the halls, noting the patrols to distract myself and wondering if we’ll even be able to make it through them to get to the Gate. When the Harbinger is ready, I thought perhaps the main ring would be a better option as it’s not so well guarded, but Grey and Kal were adamant that, after Varrik brought me back, no one’s used it, and even the fold’s supplies come through the smaller one in the keep. They think it’s dead.
Why, after all this time, is the main way in and out of the fold inaccessible? Does it have anything to do with the fact that the far-off hills I stare out at from my barred window seem to be getting more muted and hazy by the day?
My musings are cut short when we reach the main hall, and I’m led inside. Varrik, usually at his desk, is standing in front of his Gate, looking almost pensive. I belatedly see Dane in my periphery, and my steps falter. His expression is stoic and condescending, and when his eyes find mine, they’re devoid of any real emotion.
Varrik’s gaze tracks me slowly across the room and I see it dip to my stomach.
He knows.
I force myself not to look at Dane. I trust him, don’t I?
I thought I did, but here with Varrik, I’m suddenly not so sure. Did Dane tell him? Was this some elaborate game thought up by Fiana to break me properly?
Swallowing hard and trying to maintain my fa?ade of indifference, I come to stand in front of the fae lord. He glances at one of his guards.
‘Where is Skith? I summoned him.’
‘He cannot be found, my lord Varrik.’ He hesitates for a second. ‘I’ve been told that the faeling has also disappeared.’
I don’t look at Dane. Skith is dead, of course. He won’t be coming, and Jak must have done what he promised and hidden Ryon at Dane’s behest. I can trust Dane. I have to.
Varrik looks mildly inconvenienced, giving a slight roll of his eyes. ‘It’s no matter. You’re a shifter, aren’t you, Uthran?’
‘I am, my lord. A large feline.’
‘You’ll do.’ Varrik waves the guard over. ‘Scent her yourself and see if that guard who came to me was right. Tell me if she’s been bred.’
Uthran bows and approaches me cautiously. His nostrils flare once and then again. ‘She is with child. There can be no doubt. The scent is faint, but it is there.’
I see Varrik’s lips turn upwards. He looks pleased, a rare sight that makes me want to shiver because his plans for me have come to fruition.
‘Skith and the faeling must be in the fold somewhere. Find them.’ He waves the guard away and turns to look at Dane. ‘You’ve done well, my boy. If there’s a boon I could grant you, you need only name it.’
Dane bows his head. ‘Thank you, my lord.’
Varrik snorts. ‘I had my reservations when you began asking for her comfort and the other luxuries, but clearly, you knew what would work with her.’ He looks at me. ‘Congratulations, my little human. You’ve narrowly avoided being mounted by every male of high skill in my fold.’
I say nothing.
He looks me over once more. ‘You’ll be kept in your room until you’re ready to birth the babe,’ he announces. ‘A healer who specializes in human births will be sent for, and you will do everything you’re told to ensure my babe is safe.’
His babe.
I try not to grind my teeth nor jerk away as he steps closer and puts a hand over my belly. As he does, his tunic moves, and I see the glint of a thick, golden chain around his neck. My eyes flick to it and then away just as quickly. I’ve never known Varrik to be ostentatious with jewels, so it must be very important, something that he wants to keep close.
He’s wearing our escape plan.
‘No tricks, Thalia,’ he murmurs. ‘If you do anything to lose it, I’ll simply have you bred again. Only, this time, it won’t be Dane, and I’ll ensure the process is as harrowing for you as I can make it.’
I nod, pretending to be cowed by the fae lord’s threat, even as I see Dane tense slightly behind him.
‘Why?’ I ask him, just in case Kallum is lingering and can hear his thoughts. ‘What do you want with it?’
Varrik straightens. ‘I told you. You’re too intractable. But not the babe. I’ll ensure it’s so loyal that I will never question its dedication to me or its fae brethren. The perfect weapon, unlike you.’
His words make me shiver. He seems so sure that it will have the Harbinger’s power that I wonder if he’s experimented with his other Skilled before me. But I’ve never seen any fae babes here.
I hear someone else enter the room, their steps light, and I inwardly cringe. I already know who it is before I hear her tinkling voice.
‘My lord,’ she murmurs from behind me.
‘Fiana, my dove. Your mate is yours once more. His task is complete. The Harbinger is bred.’
Fiana is smiling as she goes to Dane and he puts an arm around her. ‘I’m happy to hear it.’
Varrik turns away from me, finished with me for now. He casts a look at Dane. ‘Take her back to her room. Your task is finished. You need have no more to do with her. Fiana, I would speak with you, if you will indulge me.’
They both bow their heads in perfect deference to their master.
‘Of course.’ Fiana’s almost covetous eyes don’t leave me. ‘I’ll see you a bit later, my love.’
Dane kisses her hand and motions for me to go ahead of him.
We leave the hall and walk the halls back to my room in silence.
I wait until there’s a lull in the guard patrols before I speak.
‘He’s wearing the necklace we need to get to the Light Realm,’ I whisper.
He doesn’t get a chance to reply as a guard turns the corner and walks toward us. He leaves me at the door as per Varrik’s edict, his manner not betraying that he’s no longer the loyal servant they think he is, nor that he heard me. I hope he did.
I go inside, and my door closes. I let out the breath I’ve been holding. If Fiana didn’t know before, she does now.
The Harbinger rises up inside me. ‘The Dark Realms comes. It’s found him. We have until nightfall at the most before it destroys the fold.’
‘Then we’re out of time,’ I whisper to the Harbinger as I go to the drawer and open it.
Inside, it’s almost full of the yellow flowers. Kallum has been bringing every single one he can find from all over the fold.
I get an idea, and I tip them out, spreading them over the bed. If I can’t drink them, then surely this is the next best thing. I lie on top of them and touch as many as I can, hoping to give the Harbinger enough extra power to break through.
I lay in the bed and wait, hoping this will help the Harbinger and that Dane has told the others where the necklace is. If they can find a way to get it, we can leave.
I close my eyes and indulge in my dream of us living in a cottage, of safety in the Light Realm. Of being happy and not surrounded by enemies after we’ve saved the fae of the fold.
‘What funny little creatures humans are,’ I hear a familiar male voice say with a laugh.
Vern.
I bolt off the bed, the flowers falling around me.
All three of the elites are in my room. I never heard the door.
‘What was she doing?’ Rikoth chuckles.
‘Gods only know,’ Fiana giggles with a condescending smirk.
‘Come here, little piggy,’ she orders me, her expression turning malicious.
I do as she says, leaving a trail of petals in my wake. I stand and face them. I glance at the mirror as I do, hoping Dane will see that they’re here.
‘You must have known that someone would scent the pregnancy,’ she says with a roll of her eyes. ‘Rikoth told me he suspected yesterday, didn’t you, Rik? But I thought we’d better be extra sure before we go.’
‘She’s with child. I’m sure of it.’ Rikoth nods and taps the side of his nose. ‘You don’t smell so disgusting now that there’s a halfling growing within you,’ he jeers.
Fiana drifts closer and glances back at the two males behind her. ‘You know what to do. I’ll meet you back here when it’s done.’
So, all three of them intend to betray Varrik. I wonder how long Vern and Rik will survive once she rids herself of the fae lord because if there's one thing I know about Fiana, it’s that she's loyal only to herself, and she doesn’t like to share power.
She turns back to me as Vern and Rikoth leave the room.
‘Well, I’m glad that the pain I caused you didn’t harm the babe,’ she murmurs. ‘You should have told me you were breeding, my little slave.’ She taps the side of my face almost gently. ‘I suppose I’ll have to wait on the rings as well.’ She tuts. ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to motivate you to do my bidding in other ways, though.’
‘ We need to kill them,’ the Harbinger seethes.
I grit my teeth and push it back, silently promising that I’ll let it destroy Fiana, Rikoth, and Vern, but for now, we can’t do anything but wait. I roll a couple of the flowers in my hands, willing the Harbinger to get stronger.
‘Where do you intend to make me?’ I ask. ‘To the Underhill?’
Fiana’s eyes glint. ‘So you know about it. How?’
‘Varrik told me,’ I lie. ‘Long ago. He wants me there with him.’
‘Did he?’ She snorts, walking around me slowly as I try not to give in to the urge to turn with her. ‘I doubt that. Why would he tell a human of the place that holds the seat of power for all the fae when he’s kept his origins and his plans a secret from all the rest of us?’
Varrik is from the Underhill and is trying to get back there? Why?
‘The fae lord does as he wishes.’ I shrug to hide my confusion.
‘He’s wanted to return to the place of his birth for a long time,’ I say, hoping that Fiana keeps talking and doesn’t realize that I don’t actually know any of this.
She stops in front of me. ‘Of course he does. He was banished years ago.’
‘Didn’t he tell you why?’ I ask with a smirk so she thinks I already know.
Predictable as ever, she scoffs. ‘Because he was accused of trying to use the Dark Realms to make the fae stronger. They removed him from the High Council and forced him to leave,’ she says, looking smug.
‘He’ll come for you, you know,’ I murmur. ‘Varrik will never let you leave and not hunt you.’
‘If he makes it to the Underhill, he’ll find them not so forgiving once I’ve told them all he’s been doing. The experiments on the fae he’s found in the Dark Realms, the killings for a steady supply of faelings.’ She looks away for a moment. ‘The faelings that didn’t survive him. He told us that everything he did was for our kind, but he’s a liar.’
She grabs my hair and yanks my head back. ‘And you helped him, Harbinger.’
I wince. ‘I stopped when I found the truth. What’s your excuse? How long has his skill not worked on you?’ I ask quietly.
‘Since I came into my power,’ she replies, pulling harder and making tears come to my eyes. ‘But I’m not a coward like you.’
‘Enough, Fiana!’
Fiana gasps at the fae lord’s voice as he stalks into the room, as predatory as I’ve ever seen him. She lets me go, and I skitter away from them to the wall, my arms wrapping around my stomach protectively.
I jump as I feel a hand on my shoulder.
‘We’re here, Lia,’ Kal murmurs, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
‘Did you really think I had no idea you were moving against me?’ Varrik sneers at Fiana.
‘Where are Vern and Rikoth?’ she asks.
Varrik’s smile is dark. ‘They’re dead as you knew they would be when you sent them to steal from me.’
Fiana’s smile is more than amused. ‘You saved me from having to do it later,’ she murmurs. ‘Give me the necklace, and I’ll go.’
Varrik chuckles and waves his arm, but he frowns when whatever he expects to happen doesn’t.
Fiana tuts. ‘Come, Varrik. You taught me my conjures personally. Did you think it would be so easy?’
She sends her own conjure toward him and the door explodes. Pieces of it rain down around me and I cover my eyes and head as I hear them begin to throw magick out around the room.
There’s a boom that has me covering my ears, and the wall next to me collapses. I run, but feel myself being picked up in strong arms and moved to safety ... but nowhere is safe when two mages are fighting.
I can see Dane, Kal, and Grey now. Dane is conjuring a shield, but the keep itself is beginning to come down around us.
‘We need to get out of here,’ I scream as the floor beneath us begins to crack.
But in front of the door is a pile of rubble we can’t get through. I vaguely see Fiana and Varrik grappling together, and Fiana grabs the necklace as she plunges a knife into Varrik’s chest.
He grunts in pain and hits her. She staggers back, and the chain around his neck breaks just as the Breach opens. The room shakes with it, and large chunks fall around us. Fiana lunges toward me, trying to grab me to take me with her as Varrik attempts to wrestle the chain from her. I push Fiana back into Varrik and she snarls at me, eyes narrowing.
She turns to the Breach and runs for it without me, but Varrik grabs the necklace and prises it from her hands as he pushes her through the portal. She screams and tries to take him with her, and his eyes widen.
A chunk of the ceiling falls and blocks my view. I cower against the wall with Kal, Grey, and Dane. We’re going to be crushed, I realize, not seeing a way out.
‘Get to the Breach!’ Kal yells.
But it’s too late. I hear it close as the walls around us begin to cave in.
And then I feel the Harbinger finally rise and break free from its cage.
Another bridge opens next to us and I’m pulled unceremoniously through.
Kal
We emerge into bright sunshine and warmth, a place with green leaves and colorful flowers completely at odds with the collapsing keep in the wintery fold we were just in. Moss carpets the ground in the small glen we’re standing in.
The portal closes behind us.
‘How did that Breach open?’ Dane asks.
We shake our heads.
‘Perhaps it was Varrik trying to escape,’ Grey mutters, blinking up at the bright canopy above us.
‘So this is the Light Realm?’ I ask, still unable to comprehend that we aren’t in the fold anymore. ‘We escaped. We did it!’
I laugh, grabbing Dane and Grey into tight hugs before I take Lia in my arms and hold her close.
But she isn’t smiling.
I draw back with a frown. ‘What is it?’
She’s looking at the ground, her brow furrowing. ‘I-I don’t think this is the Light Realm,’ she whispers.
Her eyes flicker, and her legs give out.
I grab her. ‘Lia!’
‘What’s wrong with her?’ Grey exclaims, grasping at her as I heft her limp form into my arms.
‘I don’t know,’ I murmur. ‘She’s breathing, but...’
‘She fainted,’ Dane says, looking concerned.
He looks around and then closes his eyes. ‘I can feel magick,’ he states, pointing through the trees. ‘Come on.’
I glance at Grey, who shrugs. ‘We’re going to have to find food and shelter at the very least. Perhaps we can find a healer.’
I shake my head. ‘Fine, but keep your eyes open. If this isn’t the Light Realm, gods only know what Dark Realm we’re in. Can you smell anything odd?’ I ask him.
He sniffs. ‘Only flowers but ...’
‘What is it?’
‘The Dark Realms have a ... scent about them. It’s difficult to explain. This place is different.’
‘Was Lia wrong? Could we be in … the Light after all?’ I whisper, the awe I feel present in my tone.
Gods, what if we are? We’d be safe. Lia and the babe would be safe.
‘I don’t know,’ Grey answers.
Dane looks back. ‘Well, we aren’t going to find out in this forest, are we? Come on and keep your eyes open. There could be any manner of dangers lurking.’
We walk through the trees and reach a shallow stream with small fish darting around a line of stepping stones. Dane begins to cross slowly, looking back at me in case I should need help with Lia but as he turns back around, he stops abruptly.
There are two fae males in front of us. Both of them have fishing rods. They stare at us and then at each other.
‘Where’d you come from?’ one asks.
‘We just arrived,’ Dane begins, stepping across to the other side of the stream, and both fae frown.
‘How? There’s only one Gate, and it’s in the other direction.’
Grey gestures to the unconscious woman in my arms. ‘We need a healer.’
Both fae just stare at her, and I cast a look at Dane and Grey. Are these fae simple?
‘Humans aren't allowed here,’ one of them says at her, pointing at her. ‘Why would you bring one?’
We don’t answer, and they look at each other again.
‘You should come with us,’ the taller one says.
‘Where?’ Dane snarls.
‘To the council building,’ the other one answers as if we’re the simple ones.
‘Come,’ the taller one orders. ‘You’re clearly our kin. You’re safe here.’
‘Where is here?’ I ask, beginning to follow them.
They glance at each other again. ‘The Underhill.’
Grey frowns and looks around again, seeming confused.
‘What is it?’ I ask him.
‘I don't know,’ he mutters, ‘but I have the strangest idea that I’ve been here before.’ He smells the air again. ‘I know this place.’
I stay in front with Lia, and the others trail behind us. I notice that one of the fae males keeps looking back, specifically at Grey.
He sees me noticing and says something to his friend.
‘What is it?’ I ask.
‘Your friend there,’ he murmurs. ‘Is his name ... Grenele?’
‘Grey,’ I say, but the name is too close to be a coincidence.
Could Grey be right? Does he know this place? Is he known here?
Neither of them speaks again as they lead us down forest trails, and it's not long before we exit the trees, which give way to meadows and farmland where crops are being tilled.
I can see a town in the valley below us and, beyond that, an imposing walled city on top of the next hill.
‘Is that where we're going?’ I ask.
The taller one nods.
‘How did we get here?’ I hear Dane ask. ‘The jewel was meant to take us to the Light Realm, and the map was to lead us to the entrance to the Underhill. If opening the Breach and coming here was so simple, why the map? Why cut it up and hide it? Why make it at all? It doesn’t make sense.’
We’re led into a small village with colorful buildings and fountains, plants everywhere, and … fae .
My mouth drops open. So many fae. I stare at a female walking by with a babe on her hip, never having seen one so tiny before.
But we don't stop. We're brought up the hill to the walled city I saw from the ridge. They take us under the raised portcullis.
‘Everyone here's fae,’ Grey whispers, and I nod.
‘They look different from us, though.’
We try not to stare. Their eyes are violet. They don't look exactly like any of the fae of Varrik’s fold.
I feel eyes on Lia, and I draw her closer as fae stop in the street to gape at us, speaking openly about the human in my arms. One or two look angry.
We’re taken through an elaborate wooden door and directly into a white marble room with stone floors and golden filigree throughout the plasterwork in the ceiling. It's intricate and bright, with color everywhere.
Fae mill around the room, murmuring in small groups. All are dressed more finely than the ones outside.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ a voice echoes through the room.
Beyond the fae crowd, I see five chairs on a high dais. Three are empty, but the other two are taken up by a female and a male. They're dressed in elaborate silks and dripping in jewels.
‘They wear clothes like Varrik,’ Dane says, and I nod, keeping my arms tightly around Lia.
I don’t like the way these fae are looking at her and I note that both Grey and Dane have inched their way closer to her, too. She’s in the middle of us now, and I keep my eyes scanning the room in case anyone should try to harm her.
We’re all being stared at now, but the eyes definitely linger on Lia more than us.
‘Who are these odd-looking fae? And is that a human ?’ The male on the dais asks, his distaste palpable as he stands up and squints down at us as we’re brought forward.
He and the female councilor look quite a bit older than many of the others here. The female raises a hand toward the male fae in placation.
‘Don’t jump to conclusions, Brakil,’ she scolds the other fae. ‘Bring them closer so they may explain themselves.’
We're led to the vacant area in front of the platform where the council members sit, and they both look down their noses at us, their gazes lingering on Lia as the others’ are.
‘I am Isbeth, first councilor of the Five,’ the female says coldly. ‘And you are?’
Dane steps in front of us, speaking with authority. ‘I am Dane. This is Kallum, Grey, and,’ he gestures to Lia, still unconscious in my arms, ‘Thalia.’
‘How did you get here? And why do you bring a human with you? There are rules about that sort of thing nowadays. No human who is not a friend to the fae is permitted in the Underhill.’
‘She is our friend ,’ I say, standing straighter, a scowl on my face.
Isbeth’s eyes narrow almost imperceptibly. ‘Where have you come from?’
Dane glances at us. ‘We … we’re from the Dark Realms.’
Whispers erupt all around us, and both councilors look surprised before they school their faces to blankness.
Isbeth stands up and descends the marble steps to the main floor of the room.
‘How did you survive?’ she asks, seeming genuinely intrigued. ‘We thought none had after the Horde fell and the Gates were shut.’
More whispers.
‘We were taken in by a fae named Varrik.’
Isbeth’s face shutters instantly, and the whispers intensify.
‘You know the name,’ I say to her.
The male rises. ‘Take them.’
We're surrounded by guards, and I see Dane’s hand get ready to conjure while I move Lia so that I can grab my own sword if need be.
‘Wait!’
Isbeth draws closer, her eyes fixed on the human in my arms.
I curb my need to protect Lia by slitting all these cunts’ throats, starting with Isbeth … for now.
‘It can’t be,’ she breathes.
She surveys us again, this time seeming to take us in much more slowly as she waves the guards away.
‘Isbeth?’ Brakil questions from behind her.
She ignores him. ‘We mean you no harm. Have a healer brought.’
But at that moment, Lia’s eyes flutter open, and she gasps.
‘It remembers.’ She looks at me, her eyes wide. ‘It remembers everything!’
Isbeth’s face breaks out into a wonderous smile.
‘Please, follow the guards to the next room. We’ll talk.’ She glances at a fae nearby. ‘Have some refreshment brought!’
I glance at the others, wondering if this is a trick, but Lia nods.
‘It’s all right.’
We're led from the large hall amid louder murmurs and concerned faces and brought into a small, empty room with a fine, polished table and chairs. There’s nothing else in the room bar some murals of the Horde being triumphed over near a large city that Grey stares at.
We’re closed in with two purple-eyed guards who stand at the door. They don't speak to us.
‘Can you put me down?’ Lia asks, and I let her down carefully, practically forcing myself to let her go.
‘What is it?’ Dane asks Grey. ‘You’ve been looking like you’ve seen a specter since we arrived here.’
He shakes his head, not tearing his eyes from the painting. ‘I could swear to you that I’d seen those towers before and those fae we met in the forest. They knew my name.’ He turns to us. ‘How do they know me? I’ve been here before. I know it.’
‘Why do the fae here look different from us?’ I murmur.
‘I don’t know,’ Dane says.
‘It’s because of what Varrik did to you,’ Isbeth answers as she enters the room. ‘Please, sit.’
Another fae brings water and fruit, setting it out on the table. Isbeth and Brakil sit down, and we follow suit.
The door closes, leaving us alone with the two fae councilors.
‘I thought Varrik was dead,’ Isbeth begins.
Brakil snorts. ‘We all hoped.’
Silence pervades the space, no one knowing exactly where to start. Isbeth’s eyes keep finding their way to Lia, who’s sitting next to me, and I draw closer to her, eyeing the fae with suspicion. When she notices, she looks vaguely amused.
‘So ... this place is called The Underhill,’ Dane begins.
‘Yes,’ Brakil says. ‘It’s the home of the fae, the safe haven gifted to us by the patron goddess Gaila the First.’
‘You’ve never heard of it, have you?’ Isbeth says sadly. ‘He kept us from you.’
She glances at Grey. ‘I recognize you now,’ she says to him, and his eyes widen.
‘You know me?’
Isbeth sits back, regarding him thoughtfully. ‘I do. I know your aunt and your cousins well. You have your mother’s eyes.’
‘I don’t understand. How do I know this place? How do you know me?’
‘Years ago, the Underhill fell. It was a smaller place then, it’s power almost completely depleted. We used it only for our faelings and their mothers to keep them safe. At the time, the Dark Realms and the Light were a threat to us. Our numbers were dwindling, our birthrates very low.’
‘What does this have to do with Grey?’ Dane growls.
‘Everything,’ Isbeth sighs. ‘You see, we were betrayed. Our children and their mothers were taken and held prisoner in the Light Realm. When we got them back, some were missing. It was presumed that they had died. There was a problem with the wards in the city they were held in. No one could remember what had happened. Some of the fae children who returned didn’t recall this place.’ She looks pointedly at Grey. ‘It took them time to remember us.’
‘And you believe I’m one of these children?’
‘As I said, Grenele, I know it. Your aunt is one of my closest friends and the family likeness is ... I’d know you anywhere, boy.’
Brakil’s eyes narrow as he looks at Lia. ‘So Varrik continued his experiments after he was exiled, did he?’ he interrupts.
Lia nods. ‘He found faelings in the Dark Realms and brought them to his fold. He changed them, gave them skills of the Dark Realm.’
‘His fold ?’ the male spits and looks at his cohort. ‘Gods.’
The fae counselors glance at each other.
‘How many fae are there in this fold of his?’ Isbeth asks.
‘Over three hundred now,’ I say.
They both gape at me. ‘Three hundred ?’
Another look passes between the two older fae.
Isbeth closes her eyes, looking upset. ‘That’s how he kept it intact for so long.’
Brakil nods. ‘Yes. I’ll have preparations begun immediately.’
‘For what?’ Lia snarls almost angrily. ‘What was intact?’
‘What do you care, human?’ Brakil volleys back, his animosity palpable.
‘Enough, Brakil. The Harbinger has brought our attention to them. We will see that they are safe.’
‘Harbinger?’ Brakil sputters at Lia.
‘You know me as well?’ Lia asks on a gasp.
She gives Lia a soft smile. ‘Yes, I know what you are, Harbinger, and we’re honored you’ve come. What I meant was that a fold draws much power. A single mage wouldn’t be able to keep one open without a source.’
‘Varrik used the fae of the fold to power it,’ Dane murmurs. ‘That cunt.’
‘Quite,’ Isbeth nods. ‘It’s the only way he could have kept it open indefinitely.’
Dane shakes his head. ‘He told us the fold was to preserve our kind, to save us. He told us that we were likely the last of the fae, but there must be hundreds here. More than I ever thought possible.’
Lia shakes her head. ‘I don’t understand,’ she whispers. ‘Why would he do all this? What was the point?’
‘What do you know of Varrik?’ Dane asks Isbeth.
Councilor Isbeth sits back and regards us. ‘He was once one of the Five. Long ago, he was banished. He used … unsavory magicks and experiments, and he and another were the ones who betrayed the Underhill. He escaped before his sentence could be carried out.
‘I don't understand,’ Dane murmurs.
‘No, I don't understand,’ Brakil mutters. ‘How did they get to the Underhill at all? It’s impossible to get here from the Dark Realms now. There is but one portal, and it is heavily guarded after what happened.’
‘Don’t you understand?’ Isbeth asks gently.
She looks at Lia and smiles. ‘She brought them here.’